"There's no other way. We have to protect it," said Sarutobi Hiruzen, his voice heavy with concern. The once abundant medical supplies were nearly depleted.
"The child is healthy," one of the medical ninjas reported. "Unless we take drastic measures to remove the child prematurely, it will continue to develop naturally."
"Luckily, Konoha has plenty of skilled medical ninjas who can perform a caesarean section when the time comes," Hiruzen thought, relieved that at least the child was safe. He then mulled over the best ways to maintain discretion.
At worst, after the ordeal, he could transfer Asuma to Danzo's Root division, where secrecy was the rule. Once there, they could alter the date of birth and announce to the public that the child was a surviving orphan of the Sarutobi clan.
Asuma Sarutobi lay on the bed, a faraway look in her eyes, her swollen belly visible under the thin blanket. Her voice was cold and flat as she questioned her father. "What's the point of telling me all this now? The entire clan is dead. My brother and sister-in-law are gone, and you haven't even organized a funeral. Are you really that afraid of Kirito? Or is it losing your Hokage title that scares you?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed heavily, the weight of the recent tragedies pressing down on him. "I understand why you blame me, but as Hokage, I have my own struggles. The identity of the murderer is still unknown, and even if we believe Kirito is responsible, Konoha no longer has the strength to hunt him down after the extermination of the Sarutobi, Uchiha, and Shimura clans."
"You don't know? Who else but him could wield the Genjutsu: Tree Binding Illusion that Red used?" Asuma yelled, her voice strained with emotion. "Even though he was masked, I would recognize him anywhere. He even admitted it himself!"
"That's why I issued the wanted order," Hiruzen responded quietly. "But you have to understand, Kirito's body appeared publicly, yet his mask and sword were missing. There are still those in the village who believe he was framed, and I've faced significant pressure from them."
Asuma exhaled bitterly, her anger barely suppressed. "You're Hokage. You can say whatever you like," she muttered. "How is Kurenai?"
Hiruzen's face darkened. "Kirito's actions devastated her. She hasn't recovered and has asked to step down from her duties. She's transferring to the medical department."
"After you give birth to the child, you should go see her," Hiruzen suggested, but Asuma's face twisted in bitterness.
"See her? What would I even say? Do I tell her that I've been castrated and am pregnant? How could I face her like this?"
Asuma let out a self-deprecating laugh, then clenched her fists. "It's all Kirito's fault. He destroyed the Sarutobi clan, he destroyed me!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched his son in silence, his heart heavy. He hesitated, then asked a question that had been troubling him. "Asuma, you became pregnant the night of the massacre. Do you remember if Kirito did anything to you besides attacking you with his sword?"
Asuma fell silent, recalling the horrific events of that night. The memory was hazy, but something resurfaced. "He... he castrated me, then poured something into my mouth before I passed out."
Hiruzen's brow furrowed, sensing there was more to Kirito's motivation. "Tell me the truth, father. Did you push Kirito too far? Did you drive him into a corner, forcing him to seek revenge on us?"
Asuma's voice had grown cold, the hostility between father and son resurfacing.
Hiruzen remained composed, his back turned to Asuma as he stared at the flickering candle on the windowsill. "I've always regarded Kirito highly. I even made him Kurenai's disciple and promoted him to jonin. Why would I push him away?"
Asuma snorted, unconvinced. He knew his father too well. Sarutobi Hiruzen was a shrewd man, full of schemes. Asuma had once left Konoha, disgusted by his father's manipulations. But in the end, even the Daimyo was no better, which drove Asuma to return to the village. He had hoped to distinguish himself on his own terms and eventually rise to the rank of Hokage.
But that dream had died along with his body the night Kirito attacked.
It didn't matter anymore whether his father had been involved in driving Kirito to revenge. Now, they were sworn enemies, and Asuma's sole purpose was to track Kirito down and kill him.
"When can I leave here?" Asuma finally asked, pushing aside his earlier thoughts.
Sarutobi Hiruzen answered, "The surgery will be performed tomorrow night. You'll need about half a month to recover, then you'll be back on your feet." He paused, then added, "I'll announce to the public that this is the child of the Sarutobi clan and that you are the father. Have you thought about a name?"
Asuma remained silent for a moment, then sighed. "Mirai Sarutobi."
Whether it was a boy or a girl, the child would be the Sarutobi clan's future.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, Danzo Shimura was facing his own challenges. The operation had been a success, and Danzo's own child had been delivered, though the cost had been immense. The Root medical ninjas, using the same experimental methods that kept Danzo alive, had managed to create a child, a daughter, by fusing Danzo's genetic material with that of others.
The Root medics quickly tested the infant to see if she had inherited the traits Danzo so coveted—the Wood Release ability of the First Hokage. The results were promising. "Danzo-sama, we've detected some genetic markers similar to the First Hokage in the child," the head medic reported.
Danzo smiled coldly. His ambition for power was far from over.
The cries of newborns echoed through the corridors of Konoha's hidden facilities, as the fates of the Sarutobi and Shimura clans hung in the balance, with Danzo and Asuma both looking to their children as the future hope of their respective legacies.
(End of Chapter).
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